Right Thinking from the Left Coast

Alex, Hide Your Cat

Fortifying the old adage that misery loves company, I am always amused at fellow progressive states trying (and many times succeeding) in out California-ing California, taking progressive-ism to a whole new level, like that could even be construed as a good thing. That wannabe state of Connecticut (sorry, but we on the west coast sport higher individual state income taxes, so you are still pikers in that comparison) isn’t satisfied with just the concept of religious freedom, no, they want to bring back the old testament as well, including animal sacrifice;

According to the NY Daily News, one of the holidays that the Waterbury school district has decided to ‘honor’ is Eid al-Adha:

The board voted to recognize Eid Al-Fitr, marking the end of the month of Ramadan, and Eid Al-Adha, an annual feast day, by giving observant students the day off to celebrate with their families. It also voted to instruct educators not to schedule any field trips, major tests or class events on the two holidays, according to the FoxCT channel.

Walid Shoebat points out that Eid al-Adha isn’t just a day of prayer and family, but it also includes the sacrificing of an animal at the end of the day:

The separation of church and state? Only when it comes to Christianity, Muslims are special, short fused, and prone to violence, hell yes we must make special accommodations for them.

Sure, the kids are thrilled, more holidays where there is no school, and the teachers are for it as well, those hard working civil servants never say no more days off.

Of course if the school district is really serious about immersing the kids in the Islamic culture and promoting tolerance for other religions, classes should be taught in the proper away to sacrifice animals, including mandatory participation. And like sex ed, no need to get the parents of dhimmies involved, the schools know what’s best for promoting harmony in a multicultural society.

It should not surprise anybody, the length and breadth at which school districts bend over backwards to accommodate the squeaky wheel, and if Muslims are known for anything it is how much they squeak in the face of any blowback to their demands.

About as often as Hal and I go round and round over budgetary issues, the Old Testament and it’s relevance towards modern day Christians, is also debated (and for the life of me I still do not get the confusion). But here is the fundamental difference, yes, in the OT days, the Jews conducted animal sacrifices, stoned adulterers, treated women like property, adopted strict guidelines in dress and food preparation, even outlawing having sex with a woman who is menstruating, but they don’t do that stuff anymore. And Christians never did because they are not bound by the “Old Covenant”. Today every other religion acts like adults, except the Muslims, no, they still get their Sharia and all the barbaric practices that go with that.

Even our goofy President loves his talking points, namely that 99 percent of all Muslims are peaceful and willing to live in a modern world, even though this flies right in the face of all the polling in those predominantly Muslim nations, the polls that identify large (not the majority, certainly, but higher than what is rational) numbers that sympathize with terrorists, want Sharia and would welcome the Caliphate, regardless of the death involved in achieving it.

I would expect this sort of nonsense in England, they gave up their national identity years ago, but here?

You know, I just don’t understand this sort of thing. I’ve never asked anyone to cowtow to my Judaism nor gotten any genuflection. I never got Rosh Hoshana or Yom Kippur off (although they were excused absences). I never asked for kosher meals (I knew a few observant Jews who just brought their own meals to school). When I joined the Boy Scouts, it was a church group but I bowed my head respectfully when they did a prayer. Maybe it’s because we’ve always been a minority, but I just don’t expect anyone to bend over backward to accommodate my religious beliefs. Even when it’s been a problem (e.g., proposal deadlines scheduled on high holidays).

I actually don’t think it’s the Muslims who drive this stuff as much as the PC idiots who want to show how inviting and sensitive they are.

I think the problem is that for someone who just recently complained about both the content and the direction of this blog, to weigh in on a rather meaty topic with something as piddling as ,”But, but, we don’t know for sure if the teachers get the day off”, like that really is the central issue to the topic at hand, displays both pettiness and laziness.

Not being part of the down votes, I can only assume it means ,”come on, is that all you got? Why bother coming to the table with such weak cheese?”.

And since you brought it up, the initial demands were for Muslim kids and non Muslim kids (I guess to show solidarity) to be allowed to skip school those days, Muslim and non Muslim kids would mean everyone, why would it be such a stretch for the teachers to ask for (or the School board to unilaterally grant) a non school day? I would suspect that is exactly what will transpire. But of all the different facets of this story and areas to weigh in, you thought it comment worthy to correct me about the teacher days off.

As mentioned before, hit and run sniping from the sidelines is not productive, unless you really don’t give a shit about the blog and have no desire to make it better.

Oh, and that was me that down voted your “intellectual honesty” comment, since that was way out of line.

Well the link is gone now, but when I read ( admittedly perused) it, the only thing I saw was :

“by giving observant students the day off to celebrate with their families.”

Nothing about teachers getting the day off, but you had to get your pathetic dig in at teachers in anyway. And I say that because of the way you phrased it. Talk about sniping. Hypocrite.

We talked about this before. You say I snipe and don’t contribute otherwise. I say this blog suffers from schizophrenia. Alex and Hal being nearly polar opposites in viewpoint, writing ability, intellectual honestly, and general intelligence. To be truthful I’ve shown great restraint as I watch Alex abuse every trivial, mindless, polemic turn of phrase as he accuses the current administration of treasonous intent because he’s a fucking mindreader who always knows what everyone elses true motivations are.
Do you ever read him? Every response to my criticism is that I am a closet liberal, Why? Because he knows what I really think, just like he knows what Obama thinks. Well, I do not ‘know’ what Lee would think if he could see the shit Alex writes, so I never say anything about Lee in regard to it, but I can fucking imagine. The caveat being that what I imagine could be wrong. But the idea that what he imagines might not be right is an alien thought process for Alex.
The last time we talked about this you made some recommendations, I did exactly what you recommended and was ignored. ( so be it). I guess Jim wasn’t interested.
I don’t contribute here much because I know I am disliked by many. To a degree I deserve it. I ‘m the guy who called repmom a cunt, and I am the living embodiment of the condescending atheist. But I am always honest, maybe to a fault, and my intellectual honesty is unquestionable. I can think Iconoclast is a total shit-heel moron when it comes to religion but then publicly agree with him when he speaks on fiscal matters. When I get 4 downvotes for showing what basically amounts to a mistake you made, and then taking a shot at teachers in the process, I am relatively certain that those downvotes are more about popularity than the possibly credible criticism that I am sniping from the sidelines. I have mountains of evidence to support this. When I come here I read every comment hidden due to low ratings ( usually CM), and I see prejudice. I see people not reading because of the source. I see intellectual dishonesty, and I hate that more than any other trait.
Lastly, your criticism that I “weigh in on a rather meaty topic with something as piddling as”, is bullshit. This is not a meaty topic, but whether you ( one of the better writers here) make unwarranted assumptions and unflattering conclusions directed at large groups of people, is of importance to me.

Then you missed what I was referring to, which I fleshed out in my follow up comment.

but you had to get your pathetic dig in at teachers in anyway

That “pathetic dig” was based on experience. Having a son (now in college) go through the public school system, I think I got a pretty good handle on how SOME (not all, of course) teachers approach their duties. To think that this decision, to allow both Muslim and non Muslim kids to skip school on these days, would naturally progress into teachers getting these days off is not stretch.

And I would not bring Lee into the mix. From what I remember, Lee and JimK were aligned in their ideological beliefs, Alex and Jimk likewise, so by extension I can assume that Lee would have no issues with Alex’s writing or his point of view.

I did exactly what you recommended and was ignored. ( so be it). I guess Jim wasn’t interested

I would not take that personally. I have shot him several emails in the last few years, crickets, I can only assume that he has washed his hands of this blog.

How about this? If you really want to contribute, want to make this blog better, when you see an issue that grabs you, shoot me an email and I will put it up so you can comment.

I don’t contribute here much because I know I am disliked by many.

Nothing that can’t be changed by a concise well thought out argument cobbled together.

No doubt, but is it really beneficial to question (or attack) the intellectual honesty of others?

When I come here I read every comment hidden due to low ratings ( usually CM), and I see prejudice.

And this goes to the efficacy of those thumb votes, which I have never been a big fan of. You can call it prejudice if you want, but that’s not how I see it. I like CM and think many of his arguments are well thought out. But a majority of the time (51% to around 80%, it fluctuates) I think he is wrong. Again, I don’t down vote, but if I did, when he writes stuff I don’t agree with, is not a down vote warranted?

, but whether you ( one of the better writers here) make unwarranted assumptions and unflattering conclusions directed at large groups of people, is of importance to me.

Ok its back up now, but I still don’t see what you’re talking about,( in regard to non-Muslin students) and I even went to original NY Daily News story. All I see is a vote to call these absences ‘excused’. Which is silly to me because as far as I’m concerned, when a parent decides to keep his or her kid home, that makes it excused.

No, a downvote is not warranted for simply disagreeing. Because it has the the power to eventually obfuscate the comment. I downvote trolls, not much else. Sometimes I downvote Alex when he is busy doing his Amazing Kreskin routine.

That’s not the Lee I remember at all, but the ideology isn’t really that important to me. It’s the technique, and I would guess Lee wouldn’t like it…But I could be wrong.

Nonsense. Which is his point. Very clearly it depends on who the author is, not what they’ve actually written.

Oh, don’t be daft, the whole point of the upvote/downvote is either to show support or show disapproval for the particular comment. Just because you think that folks use it strictly as a popularity barometer does not negate the reason behind the thumbs vote. And if you ask me, holding this opinion furthers the practice of attacking someone’s “intellectual honesty”, it basically says, “You poppy head, you just down voted me because you don’t like me”, go back to Kindergarten with that nonsense. People up/down vote on the contents of the particular comment, that is what it’s there for.

In general, I think it’s used for the quality of the post being voted on. But I have seen CM get downvotes when virtually everyone else who had commented in the thread was in line with CM’s thinking in his comment. There are some people who hit up/downvote without actually reading the comment based simply on who commented.

“In general, I think it’s used for the quality of the post being voted on. But I have seen CM get downvotes when virtually everyone else who had commented in the thread was in line with CM’s thinking in his comment. There are some people who hit up/downvote without actually reading the comment based simply on who commented.”

Perfect summary. Aside from pointing out that people know full well what happens when a comment gets enough downvotes.

There are some people who hit up/downvote without actually reading the comment based simply on who commented.”

Let’s act like adults please. If you are down voting somebody, do it because the comment they made is idiotic or sucks ass: not because they commented. Unfortunately we seem to have some people that don’t grasp that here?

Let’s act like adults please. If you are down voting somebody, do it because the comment they made is idiotic or sucks ass: not because they commented. Unfortunately we seem to have some people that don’t grasp that here?

Except that just having a different political opinion (other than somewhere at the far right end of the spectrum) is obviously considered “idiotic” here and therefore any subsequent comment would inherently “suck ass” and therefore be worthy of a downvote. Remember, as you say yourself, liberalism is evil and therefore everyone who isn’t inherently against it is an evil fucking arsehole etc etc. You repeat this every week, you have done since I’ve been here. It therefore follows that evil needs to be hidden by downvoting (“see no evil, hear no evil”). They’re really just being consistent with that whole approach.

Some might consider it idiotic (in the spirit of comity I will use the word “THICK”) to always complain about a right leaning blog (take another look at the name if you get confused) taking positions that are right leaning. Honestly, it’s like a Blood going into a Crip neighborhood and complains because everyone is wearing blue.

One of the things I try to point out in my posts is that liberalism/progressivism is contrary to individual liberty and American Exceptionalism, not only does it not serve a freedom loving people but it’s very self perpetuation robs the individual of his dignity and his ability to shape his own life. Some, like you I presume, feel differently, and that’s where an honest debate can flourish. I don’t mind bandying principles around, and TBH (and I have mentioned this before) I appreciate the civility, but it is weak cheese to come here and complain that the majority of authors and commenter’s are either conservative, libertarians, or right leaning. You saw the sign on the door before you entered.

Some might consider it idiotic (in the spirit of comity I will use the word “THICK”) to always complain about a right leaning blog (take another look at the name if you get confused) taking positions that are right leaning.

Except I’m not complaining. I’m talking about an action taken which foreseeably hides a comment from someone who isn’t right-leaning. Quite a different thing entirely.

Honestly, it’s like a Blood going into a Crip neighborhood and complains because everyone is wearing blue.

Except it’s not at all.

Some, like you I presume, feel differently, and that’s where an honest debate can flourish.

Not when comments get hidden it doesn’t. Or when people just call others names, or assume motives. None of those are inherent with “taking positions that are right leaning”, are they?

I don’t mind bandying principles around, and TBH (and I have mentioned this before) I appreciate the civility, but it is weak cheese to come here and complain that the majority of authors and commenter’s are either conservative, libertarians, or right leaning. You saw the sign on the door before you entered.

2) Who gives a shit if people choose to vote. Leftists love direct democracy. Here it is in action.

3) Perhaps the resident victim messenger is getting thumbs down from people automatically because said messenger posts crap 9 out of 10 times that revolves around the same tactics Alex gets accused of. That being over generalization of the opposing viewpoint, labeling them into one group and then attacking them. You know like “far right” and cut and paste propaganda pieces about paranoia. And of course the every devolving into “I know you are but what am I?” posts. Yet CM is viewed by some here as intellectually honest and a victim? Bullshit. He’s an asshole

4) Anyhow everyone should just be happy 7 people even show up to vote on this once great blog turned virtual turd

Don’t get me wrong, I like some of the authors here. One is a great writer, but flip flops too much for my taste to the point where I can’t even feel there is any sincerity behind the ideas other than it’s great in theory, but sure as shit don’t fight for it. At the end of the day that’s far worse than Alex’s writing, which I agree the LSM and goofy labels don’t do much of a service to the underlying argument.

Thrill, Rich, if you have any good recommended blogs please let me know. To be honest this place is simply a drain, and I really hate to say it but that’s what’s it’s become.

Conservative interest left this place a long time ago. Time to abandon ship. CM can have it as his own personal chat board for all I care.

Except that just having a different political opinion (other than somewhere at the far right end of the spectrum) is obviously considered “idiotic” here

No CM, its believing in dumb shit that makes it idiotic. If I told you unicorn farts would be the way to solve the worlds problems, and there was a track record of over a century of abuse of power, misery, and mass murder tied to the unicron farts movement, no sane person could be blamed for telling me to fuck off and die.

I’m talking about an action taken which foreseeably hides a comment written by someone who isn’t right-leaning.

Does that make sense now?

No CM, its believing in dumb shit that makes it idiotic. If I told you unicorn farts would be the way to solve the worlds problems, and there was a track record of over a century of abuse of power, misery, and mass murder tied to the unicron farts movement, no sane person could be blamed for telling me to fuck off and die.

There we go. Exactly what I mean. To you, ‘dumb shit’ is anything that you disagree with. You can’t simply disagree but have any respect for the person with the opposing viewpoint. They must be a ‘dumb shit’ (and evil and fucking arseholes etc etc).
Everything about you is 100% consistent with that 1964 Harper’s piece that I trolled with. It’s uncanny.